Beale to make amends for missed chance: Lynagh

Michael Lynagh knows more than most what Kurtley Beale would have felt when he missed his chance to snatch a famous victory for the Wallabies last weekend.

The former Wallabies captain says Beale now has two choices - either fold under the disappointment or come back stronger than ever - and he knows which he would have his money on.

''I hope he gets over it and goes and wins this one for us,'' Lynagh said. ''I've missed kicks. I missed a kick to win the Bledisloe Cup and that hurt for a while and made it difficult, but you get over it and get on with it.''

With the Wallabies trailing 23-21 to the British and Irish Lions, Beale missed two kickable attempts at goal, the second when he slipped as he struck the ball.

The scene of Wallabies teammates running to console Beale brought back memories to Lynagh of the 1991 Bledisloe Cup. The champion five-eighth had lined up a penalty kick that would have drawn the game and won the Bledisloe Cup for Australia, but his miss allowed New Zealand to retain the cup.

''It wasn't an easy one although people say, 'Mate, it was right in front.' But it wasn't,'' Lynagh said. ''I kicked it beautifully from the left-hand side straight for the middle, then the wind hits it … it missed by a foot to the right and that was the Bledisloe Cup.''

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Lynagh made only one of seven penalty attempts that day.

While Christian Lealiifano, who was knocked out in the first minute of last Saturday's game, will reclaim the kicking duties on Saturday night, Lynagh said he was expecting Beale to rebound strongly as a part of a Wallabies backline that would be causing more than a few jitters within the Lions' defensive brains trust.

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''You think Beale [Israel] Folau, [James] O'Connor, [Will] Genia, even just those blokes. [They would be asking] how do we stop all of those ?'' Lynagh said.

''The [Australian] forwards got on top last week towards the end so we're OK in the forward battle … if I was the Lions defensive coach I'd be a bit nervous because [they would be saying] 'we haven't seen a lot of Folau, we haven't seen a lot of O'Connor at 10, we've seen Genia but couldn't stop him last week, Lealiifano we've haven't played against, we've never played Joe Tomane but have watched him for the Brumbies and he scores tries, and Beale at the back terrifies us because kick badly and back he comes.' So it's pretty exciting.''

Lynagh, who has been living in London with his family for several years, suffered a stroke last year after arriving in Brisbane for a holiday. He has lost the peripheral vision in his left eye but, given his neurologist told him that he did not treat many people with his type of stroke because ''most people die'', Lynagh considers himself particularly lucky.

''I saw him last week again. He said: 'I've never seen it in all my career, or heard of somebody who's recovered or been as lucky as you.'''

Lynagh, who has been following the lions on a promotional speaking tour, said he was not as pessimistic about Australian rugby and coach Robbie Deans as some other commentators who have predicted his sacking unless the Wallabies win the Lions series.

''Last year we were beset by injuries … and the coach was criticised a lot, but he had a lot to deal with in terms of finding players to play,'' Lynagh said. ''In hindsight it was actually not a bad thing because it gave experience to players who wouldn't have had that if everybody was fit so that's keeping us in good stead.

''My view is he's a good coach. He's been there for a while now, so is it time for a change? [That's] not for me to decide. It's not a criticism, but I don't think he's played the public relations game all that well.''